With our endless tasks and responsibilities, it can feel impossible to fill up our cups and incorporate self-care into our daily life. I totally get it.
I run a busy household with my hubby. We have 4 kids, 2 cats, and a dog. Our littlest love is a wild (almost) 2 year old and our eldest love is neurodivergent. There is never a dull moment and there’s always something to be done!
It’s a lot to carry but I still wouldn’t want it any other way.
So, when I hear mums say things like “self-care sounds good but when is that gonna happen!” or “I’ll rest when I’m dead”, I totally feel that!
But treating these statements as gospel didn’t sit well with me, it wasn’t good enough. Surely there was more? Surely there was a way to fill my cup up regardless of how busy life got. I stopped accepting those statements and started reading books from people with way more knowledge than me on all this.
Here is what I’ve learnt:
- Use your calendar
This probably sounds lame to you, but I love calendars, planners, and all that nerd stuff. When I started getting into my calendar, it showed me that I had pockets of time that I could fill in with self-care. I found the space to fill my cup and incorporate self-care into my daily life!
Another thing it did was stop my brain from overthinking and getting overwhelmed. For example, I know there are a couple of days in the week when it’s busy with after-school activities or my son’s appointments (my eldest one), and that can send my head spiraling. I get overwhelmed, forget my needs and I start thinking that is my whole week! When its 1 /2 days. We can’t possibly be wired to keep all the things and to-do’s in our heads; no wonder I couldn’t find the space for self-care! Up here was a circus when everything was just jumbled up into a big ball of knots!
- 5am Club
Okay so maybe it won’t be 5. Maybe it’s 6 instead. Either way, the point is to wake up before the kiddies and be intentional with that time. It’s time to fill up your cup and give some love to your mind, body, and spirit! This would be a great time to journal, read that book you’ve been dying to start, do some yoga, or go for a short walk. It could mean reading your bible listening to motivational podcasts or working on a project that you love. If you can push yourself to get up before your to-dos and responsibilities start, then you’ll be winning the day! Imagine starting it off on your terms, just for you.
- Self-Care doesn’t have to be long or expensive
Do you have 10 minutes waiting for the kids at school to pick up? Listen to a positive affirmation video, do a quick drawing, write down some of your affirmations, or spend a couple of minutes doing breath work. Which means relaxing your shoulders, unclenching your jaw, and breathing properly. So many times, I catch myself during the day holding my breath or moving so tensely throughout my day.
- Make Self-Care part of the family
To practice the art of self-care and to teach that to our kids is something pretty wonderful. If you can make self-care a common practice in your home, then you can start teaching your kids. They will understand that sometimes, mum needs 10 mins of mummy time. They will then start to recognise that they may need alone time if they have some big feelings. It’s okay for our kids to see that we may need a breather to fill up our cup. This will teach them the value of self-care. You could even call it a fun word that everyone can get on board with and use when they need to take 5.
- Technology/apps
I’m starting to become friends with technology and apps (I will never part ways with my planner though, thanks Steph Pase!). There are so many apps to help you with self-care throughout the day. A couple of ideas could be using your alarms to prompt you to drink your water or get your steps in. The other idea is to find an app that will send you affirmations! I recently found out about one (if I can remember the name, I’ll drop it in) where you can cater the affirmations to your needs. If you’re anxious, depressed, overwhelmed, etc. This app will send you beautiful affirmations throughout the day to help you stay on top and feel good! I love that technology can be useful tool for on those busy days where it’s just go, go, go.
Self-care can and should be part of your daily routine. I have realized that it’s a no-brainer and no excuse not to incorporate self-care into your daily life. It just may not look like how you wanted it to but remember sometimes our self-care isn’t about our wants but rather our needs so we can focus on our mind, body, and spirit.
If you would like more tips while you’re on your self-care journey then come and grab your free Self-Care PDF Bundle for the family, check out our Instagram and our services page.
In love and light
Amy
